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Pro-Life Leader: Rape Exception For Abortion Is 'Abominable'

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has introduced a bill to ban abortion in the U.S. after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

A similar bill, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, passed the House in May.

According to RH Reality Check, neither Graham's bill or the House bill allows an abortion after 20 weeks in cases of a woman's health or serious genetic problems with the fetus, many of which cannot be detected within 20 weeks.

"Graham has made it clear he doesn’t expect the bill to be passed into law," Graham’s spokesperson, Kevin Bishop told RH Reality Check.

Bishop acknowledged the bill would need 60 votes to pass the Senate and a signature from President Obama, which won't happen. It would also take 66 Senate votes to override a presidential veto.

There are exceptions in Graham's bill for the mother's life in danger, incest and rape, which doesn't sit well with the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization that wants women to be forced to carry a pregnancy via rape.

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I agree. I agree that the rape exception is abominable. I also know that with it, we were able to move forward, and we have the potential of saving 15,000 to 18,000 children a year. No one should give up or give over a rape exception unless there is simply no chance of saving those other children. I really believe that.

I also think that, look at this bill, it's a 20-week bill. We left out every other child. We've excluded, and excepted, most children from this. So by the same argument, I reject that, but I also know that we've found a sweet spot that we can get common ground on, and it's a place where the country is, and it's a place that we can actually get the legislation through.